Hemming and cutting attachment for sewing machines



Oct. 31, 1961 A. L. STANCEL, JR 3,006,300

HEMMING AND CUTTING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES 7 Filed April 16, 1959 ALBERT L.STANCEL, JR.

BY @T M ATTORNEY 5 United States Patent 0 i 3,006,300 HEMh/IING AND CUTIING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Albert L. Stancel, Jr., Lanett, Ala., assignor to West Point Manufacturing Company, West Point, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Filed Apr. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 806,912 Claims. (Cl. 112252) This invention pertains to an attachment for a sewing machine, and more particularly to sewing machine attachments used in connection with hemming successive, connected articles and severing the thread chain connecting such articles.

It is a common practice in factories to successively hem or stitch a number of articles, such as towels, connected together by a thread chain. After the sewing operation has been performed this thread chain must be severed, either by special personnel employing scissors or the like, or by the operator of the machine utilizing a special attachment mounted thereon.

It is an object of this invention to simply, improve and facilitate these operations by providing a novel hemmer and cutter attachment of unitary construction, and particularly designed to be conveniently aflixed in proper alignment to existing sewing machines.

It is a further object to provide an improved threadcutting means, of the type referred to, which is of economical construction, and which provides maximum safety in use.

A related and somewhat more specific object is to provide a novel housing and guard arrangement for a cutter blade adapted to expose only a small segment of the blade cutting edge to prevent accidental injury to the blade, the operator of the machine, and to the goods.

Other objects and advantages will be in part evident and in part pointed out hereinafter in the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention. This description should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a hemmer and cutter attachment embodying the invention applied to a sewing machine and shown in operative position relative to an exemplary succession of interconnected articles, illustrated in phantom lines, only a portion of the machine being shown for convenience and clarity of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation viewed from the bottom of FIG. 1 with the articles to be hemmed being omitted;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the hemmer and cutter attachment shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front end elevation of the cutter housing, partially broken away to show the positioning of the blade.

The invention will be shown and described as applied to a standard sewing machine, such as that illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 and having the usual work-supporting plate 10, presser-foot 12, needle bar 14, and needle 14'. Inasmuch as these parts may be of any suitable design, and form no part of the present invention, detailed illustration and description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

In its preferred form the hemming and thread-cutting attachment of the invention includes a hemmer 16 and a cutter holder 18, suitably connected to a plate member 20, as by soldering or welding. Member 20 is shown as being of generally T-shaped configuration, in plan, with the stem 22 thereof being provided with a longitudinal slot 24 therein, as shown. The attachment thus may be conveniently and adjustably secured to the work-plate of the machine by means of a screw or bolt 26 extending through slot 24 and into plate 10, as is evident.

3,006,300 Patented Oct. 31, 1961 When properly secured to the machine, the hemmer 16 will be immediately forward of the presser-foot 12, while the cutter holder 18 will be immediately rearward thereof. It will be seen that the hemmer 16, presser-foot 12, and cutter holder 18 are all in alignment, this alignment corresponding substantially to the line of work of the machine, as best seen in FIGURES 1 and 2. This is an important feature of the invention, inasmuch as the fixed position of cutter holder 18 and hemmer 16 in such alignment on the member 20 reduces to a minimum the time and effort involved in adapting a conventional sewing machine for the type of operations under consideration, while providing for increased efliciency, accuracy and safety, as will presently be apparent.

The hemmer 16 is shown as including a curled and tapered portion 17 defining the means for preparing the hem in the articles to be stitched, as is known in the art. This curled portion 17 may be held in the position shown as by welding or soldering same to member 20, as previously indicated.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4, cutter holder 18 is shown as having a body portion 28 and a tapered foot portion 30 extending therefrom. A slot 32 extends through body portion 28 and into but not entirely through foot portion 30, as best seen in FIGURE 4. A cutter blade 34 having a tapered cutting edge 36 is adjustably mounted in slot 32, as by means of a set screw 38 extending through a slot 39 in the blade and into the holder 18.

The position in which blade 34 is held by screw 38 is such that only a small segment of the cutting edge 36 is exposed above foot portion 30, as best seen in FIGURE 4. Thus the portion of the cutting edge 36 disposed within slot 32 is protected against damage, while the machine operator will be protected from accidentally engaging this cutting edge.

As best indicated in FIGURES 1 and 3, the exposed cutting edge 36 of blade 34 will be substantially in alignment with the line of work and the hemmer 16, such edge preferably being generally transverse to the line of work, as will be evident.

A U-shaped member 40 preferably of wire-like construction is secured to the cutter holder 18 at or adjacent to the apex of the angle formed by the forward edge of body 28 and the inclined edge of foot 30. The cutting edge 36 of blade 34 preferably extends below and generally along the longtiudinal axis of member 40, as best seen in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3.

It will be observed that guard member 40 combines with foot 30 to provide a substantially V-shaped opening adapted to receive the thread-chain to be cut, and guide the same into contact with the exposed segment of the cutting edge 36. In order to facilitate in entry of the thread chain into this opening the cutter end of member 40 preferably is turned upwardly at 42 (see FIGURE 4).

Additionally, member 40 will provide protection for the operator from injury due to accidental contact with the exposed part of the blade.

The operation of a sewing machine equipped with an attachment of the invention will now be described.

An article 44 to be hemmed will be arranged in hemmer 16 to provide the usual fold or hem along the edge in question. Thereafter, this hem will be stitched by the needle 14' in the usual manner. A plurality of these articles 44 will be connected together by a thread chain, designated 46. After each of the articles 44 has been hemmed, the thread chain 46 connecting same to the previously hemmed article will be adjacent the cutter holder 18. As the operator removes article 44 from the work-supporting plate 10 by sliding it to the left, upwards as seen in FIGURE 1, thread chain 46 will be automatically received within the V-shaped opening formed by mem- 3 her 40 and foot 30, and guided into contact with the cutting edge 36, to be severed thereby. The thread chain connecting the subsequently hemmed articles will also be severed in the same manner.

It will be appreciated that the arrangement of the cutting edge 36, guard 40, and foot portion 30 will not only assure maximum protection from the blade for the operator and the articles 44, but further, the thread chain 46 may be conveniently severed merely by moving same toward the holder 18, the tips or free ends of portion 30 and member 40 automatically guiding the thread chain into the narrowing opening defined therebetween to effect the severing.

It thus will be seen that the objects of this invention have been fully and efiectively accomplished. It will be realized, however, that the foregoing specific embodiment has been shown and described only for the purpose of illustrating the principles of this invention and is subject to extensive change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a sewing machine having a presser foot and a work-plate, a combined hemmer and thread cutting attachment comprising: a hemmer disposed forwardly of said presser foot; a cutter holder disposed to the rear of and in close proximity to the presser foot, bracket means securing the cutter holder in fixed relationship to said hemmer and the line of work passing therethrough, said holder including a body portion and a tapered foot portion extending therefrom transversely to the line of work, a slot extending through said body portion and into said foot portion, a cutter blade mounted within said slot and including an exposed segment within and distant from the terminal end of said foot portion.

2. An attachment as in claim 1 wherein a U-shaped member is secured to said cutter holder above said exposed segment of said blade, the legs of said member being on opposite sides of said slot and said exposed blade segment extending between such legs.

3. An attachment for a sewing machine having a presser foot and a work-plate, comprising: rigid bracket means, a hemmer and a cutter holder in spaced relationship to one another on said bracket, means for adjustably securing said bracket to the work-plate with the hemmer disposed forwardly and the cutter holder rearwardly of the presser foot, said holder including a body portion and a V-shape guide portion extending from one end thereof, the body portion being disposed to one side of the line of work passing through the hemmer, the members forming the V of the guide portion extending transversely of and intersecting the line of work, and blade means having a shank and a cutting edge, said blade means being adjustably secured at its shank to the body, the cutting edge of said blade extending longitudinally of and between the V-forming members of the guide distant from the open end thereof.

4. An attachment as in claim 3, wherein the bracket is of generally T-shape configuration, and the holder and hemmer are secured to the bar thereof, and wherein the leg of said bracket and the body portion of the holder are disposed on the opposite side of the line of work from the hemmer.

5. An attachment as in claim 4, wherein the shank of said blade and the leg of said bracket each have a longitudinally extending slot therein, and including a screw means extending through said slots for adjustably positioning the blade and bracket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,355,766 Westhoff -.L Aug. 15, 1944 2,423,001 Blowers June 24, 1947 2,858,783 Lawber Nov. 4, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 16,188 Great Britain Sept. 9, 1892 

